Heart-to-Heart Contest Judges and Winners
2017 Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the Heart to Heart! The finalists are listed below in no particular order. Finalist submissions have been sent to the agents and editors. Check back in early November for the final rankings!
Contemporary
- Sandra Marine, Home to You
- Reagan Vane, Love in Progress
- Sarah McGregor, Indecent proposal
Romantic Suspense
- Sarah Bailey, The Sparrow
- Enne Martin, POINT PERDIDO – THE COTELLI FAMILY
- Barbara Forlenza, Beyond Paradise
Erotica (Not enough entries received)
Historical
- Cindy Regnier, Her Heart’s Refuge
- Sherrinda Ketchersid, The Lady’s Masquerade
- Karysa Faire, Gold Digger
Paranormal
- Elizabeth Menozzi, Eve of the Fae
- Elycede Reefe, Wolf’s Promise
- Barb DeLong, Charm’d
YA
- Courtney Berman, Sixty Days
- Rachel Scott, Unseen
- Fiona Miller-Stevens, Life Without Clouds
2017 Judges
Please check back for updates to this list.
Contemporary
- – Agent Nalini Akolekar, Spencerhill Associates
- – Print Editor Sue Grimshaw, Editor-at-Large at Penguin-Random House Ballantine, Bantam, Dell – Loveswept, Flirt
- – E-Pub Editor Toni Kelley, Acquisitions Editor for Extasy Books
Romantic Suspense
- – Agent Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
- – Print Editor Mary Altman, Sourcebooks Romance
- – E-Pub Editor Kerri Buckley, Senior Editor at Carina Press
Erotica
- – Agent Latoya C. Smith, L. Perkins Agency
- – Print Editor Melissa Bendixen, Gallery/Simon and Schuster
- – E-Pub Editor Tera Cuskaden, Entangled, Select Otherworld
Historical
- – Agent Lizzie Poteet, Seymour Agency
- – Print Editor Jennie Conway, St. Martin’s Press
- – E-Pub Editor Alycia Tornetta, Entangled
Paranormal
- – Agent Lane Haymont, The Tobias Literary Agency
- – Print Editor Martin Biro, Editor, Kensington Books
- – E-Pub Editor Stephanie Doig, Assistant Editor, Carina Press
YA
- – Agent Laurie McLean, Fuse Literary
- – Print Editor Michael Strother, Little, Brown Young Readers (Hachett Book Group)
- – E-Pub Editor Samantha McMahon, SoulMate Publishing
2016 Winners
Contemporary
- First Place: Celeste Deveney, Only Till Midnight *
- Second Place: Angie Hockman, The Hustler *
- Third Place: Gabrielle Luthy, Miracle on Tenth Avenue
Erotica
- First Place: Tanicia Bell, Daughers of Flame: Book One, The Artist
- Second Place: Angie Ballard, Sowing Wild Oats
- Third Place: Liz Adams, A Werewolf Christmas
Historical
- First Place: Mary-Teresa Heath, A Marquess in the Making *
- Second Place: Mary-Teresa Heath, At Bealtaine’s Bidding
- Third Place: Vicky Oliver, Parlor Games
Paranormal
- First Place: Michelle Bond, The Twenty-Eighth Kiss *
- Second Place: Marlene Relja, Capsos Rising
- Third Place: Tanicia Bell, Vampireling: Book One *
YA
- First Place: Nicole Hohmann, Our Center of Gravity *
- Second Place: Terra Rogerson, The Break-Up Instructions *
- Third Place: Sarah Zettler, Leaving Hollow *
* request for synopsis, partial manuscript, or full manuscript
2016 Final Judges
Contemporary
- Patricia Nelson, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency – Agent
- Elle Keck, Harper Collins – Print Editor
- Toni Kelley, Extasy Books – E-Pub Editor
Erotica
- Sarah Bush, Trident Media Group – Agent
- Adam Wilson, Gallery/Simon and Schuster – Print Editor
- Tera Cuskaden, Entangled – E-Pub Editor
Historical
- Tamar Rydzinski, Laura Dail Literacy Agency – Agent
- Nicole Fisher, Avon – Print Editor
- Alycia Tornetta, Entangled – E-Pub Editor
Paranormal
- Lane Haymont, The Seymour Agency – Agent
- Bethany Blair, Berkley – Print Editor
- Stephanie Doig, Carina Press – E-Pub Editor
YA
- Laurie McLean, Fuse Literary – Agent
- Michael Strother, Harlequin – Print Editor
- Samantha McMahon, SoulMate Publishing – E-Pub Editor
2015 Winners
Contemporary
- First Place: MM Jaye, Fate Captured *
- Second Place: Sally Brandle, A Mule, A Mob Hit and A Mountain of Trouble *
- Third Place: Rebecca Smith, She’s Got Game
Erotica
- First Place: Sarah Hall, Breaking My Rules *
- Second Place: M.A. Dison, Alaska Bound *
- Third Place: Kaytlin Rose, Changing Tides
Historical
- First Place: Jan Lehy, The Secret Affairs of a Duke’s Daughter *
- Second Place: Christina Alexandra, The Seduction of the Duke *
- Third Place: Laura Davies Tilley, Green Mountain Rogue
Paranormal
- First Place: Kameron Claire, Special Order *
- Second Place (tie): Erica Miles, Skin
- Second Place (tie): Therese Rittenbach, My Kind of Love
- Third Place: Lynn Vasquez, The Ghost of James Fitzpatrick
YA
- First Place: Roxanne Stellmacher, Queen of All Fates
- Second Place: Janet Halpin, The Nascent Bloom
- Third Place: Beth Barany, Dinah, Fallen Angel
* request for synopsis, partial manuscript, or full manuscript
2015 Final Judges
Contemporary
- Jay Austin, EIC – Agent
- Rebecca Lucash, Harper Collins – Print Editor
- Emmanuelle Morgen, Stonesong – E-Pub Editor
Erotica
- Sarah Younger, Nancy Yost Literacy Agency – Agent
- Adam Wilson, Gallery/Simon and Schuster – Print Editor
- Tera Cuskaden, Samhain – E-Pub Editor
Historical
- Patricia Nelson, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency – Agent
- Nicole Fisher, Avon – Print Editor
- Alycia Tornetta, Entangled – E-Pub Editor
Paranormal
- Lane Haymont, The Seymour Agency – Agent
- Bethany Blair, Berkley – Print Editor
- Kerri Buckley, Carina Press – E-Pub Editor
YA
- Laurie McLean, Fuse Literary – Agent
- Natashya Wilson, HQN – Print Editor
- Kimberly Blythe, Omnific Publishing – E-Pub Editor
2014 Winners
Contemporary
- First Place: Seana Shelby, Welcome Home, Katie Gallagher *
- Second Place: Karyn Mendoza, Hot Pants for the Hotspur
- Third Place: Tara Wyatt, Off Guard *
Historical
- First Place: Crystal Eliot, Lessons in Scandal *
- Second Place: Susan Hammond, How to Train Your Knight *
- Third Place: Karen Aragon, Queen of Diamonds
Paranormal
- First Place: Alleyne Dickens, Stalking Horse *
- Second Place: Jennifer Hover, The Last Marine
- Third Place: Jennifer Hover, Citadel
YA
- First Place: Elly Takaki, The Frost King *
- Second Place: Shannon Godwin, The Goddess Hunter
- Third Place: David Rodeback, Love and Rules
* request for synopsis, partial manuscript, or full manuscript
2013 Winners
Contemporary
- First Place: Christine Harvey*, In Concert
- Second Place: Maisie Rubinstein, Rules For Burning
- Third Place: PamelaGibson*, Balancing Act
Historical
- First Place: Jennifer Ensor, Lady Beauchamp’s Proposal**
- Second Place: Pat Eckhoff, Beauford’s Run
- Third Place: Pamela Aares Westfall Bochte*, The Lady and the Patriot
Paranormal
- First Place: Jennifer Hover, Sated
- Second Place: Karen Bynum, Becoming**
- Third Place: Briana MacWilliam, The Book of Dracon
- Fourth Place: Carla Smith, A Promise Given
YA
- First Place (Tie): Darlene Ishigo, Echo
- First Place (Tie): Paula Garner, Phantom Limbs
- Second Place: Karen Bynum, Running From Shadows
* SFA-RWA Member
** request for partial or full manuscript